


Pathfinder

by GammaPrime



Series: TRANSFORMERS CHRONICLES [12]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Life, Bioweapons, Discovery, Friendship, Manipulation, Red Rust Plague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28161345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GammaPrime/pseuds/GammaPrime
Summary: While scouting for Energon, Skybolt discovers a long-stranded femme who may be a sort of kindred spirit.
Series: TRANSFORMERS CHRONICLES [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060217
Kudos: 2
Collections: TRANSFORMERS CHRONICLES





	1. Lost and Found

Somewhere in the skies over Africa, a lone UAV dutifully scanned the ground below as it flew. This lone drone wasn't performing surveillance for any human government though. Instead, it was scouting for Energon, the fuel and life-blood of its Cybertronian allies: the Autobots.

Although not a truly living machine like the Autobots, this gray and gold machine was sentient, and had decided for itself to take on the task of scouting for Energon and monitoring for Decepticon activity outside the range of their base's scanners. Initially, this construct, known as Skybolt, attempted to aid the Autobots on the battlefield, another decision it had made on its own. Unfortunately, a series of events following the death of its mentor, Dashlane, would lead it to determine itself unfit for battle.

"Skybolt to Autobot base," the UAV spoke into its internal commlink in a soft, masculine voice.

"Jazz here. 'Sup, Sky? Did ya find Energon or 'Cons?"

"Energon cache detected, along with unidentified signal," Skybolt replied. "I am moving in to investigate further."

"Careful out there, Sky," warned the Autobot lieutenant. "That signal could be bait for a 'Con booby trap."

"All sensors are on full alert," Skybolt replied. "Weapons systems are primed and ready for hostile encounters."

"Don't get in over your helm out there, and keep us posted, okay?"

"Affirmative. Skybolt out."

Skybolt closed the comm connection before landing outside of an abandoned diamond mine. He transformed into his robot mode and activated his weapons and performing a cautious scanner sweep of the area, which didn't pick up any Decepticons, either inside the mine or approaching. He proceeded to enter the mines, activating his night vision to compensate for the lack of light as he traveled deeper and deeper, following the Energon readings and strange signal.

As he continued, he noted that his chemical sensors were still picking up traces of diamond, indicating that the mine wasn't abandoned due to being stripped. He began to wonder what caused the humans to abandon this mine prematurely, and his mind began to drift toward trying to answer that question. The most logical explanation he could come up with was that the Energon overloaded the mining equipment, as most human-built machines couldn't handle the power of the substance. He would soon refocus his mind on the task at hand once the Energon crystals were in view. With them was something else, which Skybolt assumed was the source of the signal. He cautiously approached the object in question, which appeared to be a dark green and silver, feminine-looking robot who appeared to be Cybertronian. He activated his comm once more.

"I have located the Energon and the source of the unidentified signal," he reported. "It appears to be a Cybertronian or similar mechanical being. I am transmitting coordinates now."

"Coordinates received, Sky," Jazz replied. "We'll be wit'cha soon. Jazz out."

Skybolt leaned over the mysterious robot, whose green eyes flickered as if she were low on power. "Are you damaged?" Skybolt asked.

"Motor relays...are offline," the robot replied in a soft, feminine voice. "Propulsion systems are critical."

"My allies will be coming soon. They can see to your repairs."

"That is...kind of you," the femme replied. "What is...your name?"

"I am designated 'Skybolt.' What is your name?"

"I do not have one. I am a third-generation Camien Energon Probe...Model 1221."

"Why do you not have a name?"

"I'm...not really alive. I was never intended to be sentient."

"Neither was I. Skybolt is the name given to the project that created me. I determined that it was a suitable designation early in development."

"I never thought of a name for myself," the probe admitted. "By the time I became sentient, I had long since lost contact with Caminus."

"Your voice pattern indicates sadness. What happened?"

"My first conscious decision was to find that out for myself. I traveled back to Caminus, but there was nothing but empty buildings and rusted scraps. Nobody was left...anywhere. They all rusted away."

"I understand loss. I have experienced it myself. My mentor...and closest friend...was terminated in battle."

"I never developed such a bond with anyone. By the time I gained that capacity...there was no one left to bond with. I spent six million Camien Stellar Cycles...alone."

"I...chose isolation. My mentor's death was only the beginning of a series of events that would lead me to conclude that I was not fit for frontline combat. I opted to serve as a remote scout."

"What happened?"

"Grief consumed me. It led to anger...a desire for revenge. The Decepticon Starscream capitalized on that. He offered me weapon and armor upgrades to terminate the one who terminated my friend....Megatron. I accepted Starscream's offer, and once the upgrades were complete, I confronted Megatron. He was ready for me. He anticipated my attempt at vengeance. He exploited it to reprogram me, turning me against my allies. Were it not for my main human creator, Andrea Morales, I would still be a Decepticon. The Skybolt standing before you would no longer exist."

"I'm....I'm sorry, Skybolt."

"You do not need to apologize."

"I don't know what else to say. Caminus has never been at war that I know of."

As Skybolt continued to speak to his new companion, the Autobots had made their way into the mine and were approaching his location.

"Optimus, I'm not picking up any life signals," Ratchet reported with a sigh as he glanced down at his med-scanner.

"I don't think Skybolt would lie about something like a bot," Bumblebee countered.

"It's probably just another drone like him,"

"What if it's a Synth?" Jazz suggested. "If it is, we can't just leave it here."

"If that is the case, then I am in full agreement with Jazz," Optimus added. "If the mechanism in question is sentient and in need of aid, we shall render it."

"Oh, for Spark's sake," Ratchet grumbled under his breath. "One Synth is enough!"

Both Jazz and Bumblebee glared at the medic. "Aww, mute it, Doc-Bot," the warrior fired back. "If an innocent bot is hurtin' down here, you gotta patch it up no matter what."

"It's a bot alright," Bumblebee announced, having spotted the probe as he approached the Energon cache. "Looks like she's been down here for Primus knows how long."

"Hello, allies of Skybolt," 1221 greeted, sparks flying from her neck as she tried in vain to turn her head to face the approaching Autobots.

"Looks like you have some severed motor relays," Ratchet observed before aiming his med-scanner at the femme.

"You can repair them, can't you? You look like a medic."

Ratchet shook his head. "Ordinarily, I would, but you're contaminated with the Red Rust Virus. If I make any physical contact, I'll be infected."

"The Red Rust Virus?" Jazz repeated. "Ain't that the one that wiped out those colonies?"

"Indeed it was," Prime replied. "It is the very virus responsible for the dreaded Plague of Rust that ended the Age of Colonization and isolated Cybertron from its colonies."

"That must be...what happened to Caminus," 1221 concluded.

"Yes, that was indeed the fate of your homeworld." Optimus confirmed. "You are one of only two survivors that I know of."

"I'm not really alive though."

"The presence of a Spark is not the only indication of life, my friend," Prime countered. "You are alive by virtue of your sentience. Alpha Trion once said that life manifests in many forms, and its spark is not always tangible. That appears to be the case with you, as well as Skybolt."

"Alive or not, we cannot risk any physical contact with her. Infection would be a death sentence for all of us. To this day, no cure has been found for the Red Rust," Ratchet stated emphatically. "We should just gather the Energon and leave them both."

"Go ahead and take the Energon," 1221 offered, her voice brimming with sadness and guilt. "I'll be alright here."

"Won't you just run out of power and shut down out here alone?" a concerned Bumblebee asked.

"I'd...I'd rather do that...than be responsible for all of you dying the way the people of Caminus did."

"She will not be alone," Skybolt argued. "I will provide companionship. I am likely to be contaminated as well."

"No way," Bumblebee replied in protest. "We can't just give up on them. We never leave a bot behind."

"So you want to rust to death to save a couple of..."

"Don't say the D word, Ratchet," the yellow scout growled.

"'Sides, maybe we can find a cure."

"If it were that easy, we would've found one eons ago," Ratchet snapped, becoming increasingly frustrated with his companions' foolish optimism. "If I patch her up, we might as well just surrender EVERYTHING to the Decepticons! Once the Rust sets in, I won't have time to even BEGIN to work on a cure!"

"I've been alone for eons. Please...just take the Energon," 1221 reiterated. "The fate of a whole world is more important, and war can no doubt do as much damage as a plague."

Ratchet sighed. "You're...You're right about that. Cybertron is dying a slow death as we speak due to our war, and, left to his own devices, Megatron will inflict the same fate upon this planet."

"Then please...just do as I say."

Optimus let out a heavy sigh as he summoned his trailer. Even if it was for the best, leaving an innocent sentient alone to die didn't sit well with the Prime. It had always been his philosophy to never leave anyone behind. In this situation, though, the possible resurgence of a deadly contagion forced his hand. He turned to face the femme Synth with sadness in his optics. "Someday, we will find a cure. When that day comes, we shall return."

1221 fought for a smile while Skybolt knelt down beside her. "If you deactivate before then....I will see what I can preserve," the gray Synth offered as the Autobots loaded up the Energon. "After all, we will continue to exist so long as our data storage and AI cores remain intact."

"That's true, Skybolt. By the way, I think I detected a bit of optimism in your voice. You sound...happier...than you did when we first met."

"I am. I am not entirely sure why, but I believe you have something to do with it. You were...like a beacon...leading me to something more than just Energon....You marked a path to...closure. I do not know why, but I believe I am at peace. I can come to terms with what happened to Dashlane. You are...my...Pathfinder."

"Pathfinder," 1221 repeated, letting the word echo in her mind for a bit. "I like that name." With those words, she finally smiled as the light in her eyes dimmed to darkness.


	2. Contagion and Cure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron plans to use Pathfinder as a means to spread the Red Rust Virus among the Autobots.

Somewhere above the heavy rain clouds that blanketed the skies of Central Africa, the massive Decepticon flagship Nemesis made its way toward an abandoned diamond mine, which had recently been discovered to be the resting place of a lone Camien Energon Probe.

"Sir, why are we headed to that abandoned human mine?" asked Demolishor, one of Megatron's top soldiers. "The scanners aren't picking up any Energon there."

"I am more interested in the signal that has just faded away. It was a beacon from a Camien Energon Probe."

"And what, pray tell, would you want with such a thing, my liege?" Knock Out asked while polishing his armor.

"Wasn't Caminus wiped out eons ago by the Rust Plague?" Demolishor asked a bit nervously. "That thing might be contaminated."

"Indeed," the Decepticon leader replied with a sly smirk as he summoned a group of Vehicon drones.

"You're not thinking of bringing that thing on board, are you?" inquired Knockout, shuddering at the thought of having to possibly examine or even work on the Probe.

"I am, but we need not worry about some antiquated contagion."

"There's no cure."

Megatron chuckled. "That is where you are wrong, Knockout. We have a cure, but the Autobots do not." He walked over to one of the secure storage vaults that lined the south wall of the Nemesis' command center. "Shortly before we seized full control of Cybertron, Shockwave had developed an antivirus," he explained before punching the vault's access code into a keypad, causing it to open and reveal several vials of a glowing orange liquid. He then proceeded to remove one of the vials and inject its contents into his shoulder, his devious smile not leaving his lips.

"Not the biggest fan of needles, sir, but, given the situation, it might be preferable."

"To losing your luster, yes?" Megatron wearily commented while injecting the antivirus into his narcissistic medical officer's arm.

"That, and I'm not quite ready to join the AllSpark yet."

"Good," the Decepticon leader replied. "I will need you to get that Probe up and running."

"That I can do. Fixing up drones is Protoforms' play compared to working on fully-Sparked bots. I still wonder, though. How exactly do you plan to use this Probe as a bioweapon delivery system?"

"If it made its way to this planet all the way from Caminus, it must have been operating for quite some time without a system reset. It would've had sufficient time to undergo Emergence," Megatron explained. "Given the recent presence of a familiar Autobot Synth in this vicinity, I suspect that to be the case."

"Hmm...I think I see where you're going now, and it sounds absolutely brilliant."

While Megatron and Knockout discussed the former's plans for his new companion, Skybolt made his way toward the spot in the diamond mine where she laid. "Pathfinder, I have returned," he announced, though he knew she wouldn't hear him. His optics widened when he reached her resting place to find his new companion gone. "Pathfinder!" There was no way she could've left on her own. Her damaged motor relays and propulsion systems effectively paralyzed her. His optics narrowed as the Nemesis tracker Starscream had built into him alerted him to the warship's presence. "Megatron," he growled as he transformed to UAV mode and jetted out of the mine. He already lost one friend to the Decepticon leader. He was not ready to lose another.

Meanwhile, in the Nemesis' med-bay, Knockout worked diligently to repair the damaged Energon Probe, his usual arrogant smirk on display as he did so. "You are a lovely piece of work," he commented, complimenting himself more than the Probe. "How could any Emergent Synth resist such a pretty face?"

Barricade spat before giving the vain doctor a disgusted look. "Enough with the flirting. Just get her online before Megatron comes in."

"I have every intention of doing so, Barricade," he replied, giving the thuggish enforcer a dismissive hand-wave. "In fact, I'd say she's ready to go now." The red-hued Decepticon proceeded to give the Probe a fresh Energon infusion, causing her eyes to glow bright green once more as she reactivated.

"Where am I?" she asked as she examined her new surroundings. "What happened? Where's Skybolt?"

"He probably ran off to refuel...or he could've gotten bored with an inactive bot he couldn't fix. He's a warrior after all, not a medic."

"I know he was built for combat. He said so himself. I don't think he got bored with me though."

"You Synths never did have the best sense of humor," Knockout sighed.

"When you've been alone as long as I have, you don't get the chance to really experience humor."

"I suppose that's true," Knockout replied acquiescently. "You needn't be alone anymore though," he smiled, giving off an air of insincere flirtatiousness. "Now that you've been restored to full functionality, you could explore the stars again...or explore this warship."

"Why did you repair me? Won't you rust?"

"Don't worry about me, my dear. This finish won't be rusting away any time soon."

The medic's reply, with all its overt vanity, earned a small giggle from the Camien Synth.

"Who told you I'd rust for fixing you anyway?"

"Another medic...an ally of Skybolt," she replied.

"Ratchet, no doubt. That old fool is full of slag if you ask me. He probably didn't want to waste his time on a Synth."

Pathfinder looked down, thinking over the crafty medic's words.

"By the way, my name's Knockout," he introduced, resisting the urge to add a 'because that's exactly what I am' to the end of his sentence.

"I'm Pathfinder. It's what Skybolt calls me, and I like it."

"I suppose that's a fitting name, and if you like it, I don't see any reason to change it."

"How is the patient?" Megatron asked as he entered.

"Fit as a fiddle, as the humans would say, sir."

"Um...Hello," Pathfinder greeted nervously, being a bit intimidated by Megatron's imposing figure.

"No need to be alarmed," The Decepticon leader said, giving off an air of false reassurance. "When one leads the life I have been forced to lead, it is common to appear intimidating, but looks can be deceiving."

"I guess so..."

"All my life has been a battle, from the Energon mines to the pits of Kaon."

"Pits?" she repeated, her eyes widening in shock. "You engaged in gladiatorial combat?"

"I did," he confirmed. "It was the only way for a denizen of Kaon to rise through the social hierarchy. In Kaon, one was either a champion in the pits or a mere laborer, only marginally more valued by society than a mindless drone."

"That...sounds unfortunate. I was programmed with a database containing the basics of Camien society. Gladiatorial combat is viewed as uncivilized bloodsport."

"The social elite of Cybertron claimed to take the same view. However, they would do nothing to rectify the circumstances that brought it about," Megatron explained. "They would prefer to remain in their lofty towers in Iacon, smugly sipping the Energon we toiled to extract for them. The society of Cybertron was as broken as your body was when we found you. Unfortunately, it would appear that the latter was far easier to fix."

"I thank you for that."

"It is the least we could do for one such as yourself," Megatron said deceitfully. "On Cybertron, I was a champion of equal rights for Synths, following in the footsteps of the late Cogitus Ambus."

Pathfinder hung her head, remembering some of the things she could faintly hear Ratchet say as he and the other Autobots approached her resting place and Energon cache.

"It's probably just another drone like him."

"One Synth is enough!"

"It would appear that you have borne personal witness to the typical treatment of Synths," Megatron observed.

"I think I have," Pathfinder confirmed with a sigh. "I faintly heard some of the things the one called Ratchet said as he approached me. He didn't seem too interested in me."

"So he made up an excuse, correct? He claimed you were contaminated with the Red Rust Virus."

"He did. Was that a lie?"

"It was a half-truth at best," the former gladiator replied. "He probably told you that there was no cure. That is the lie. A cure was developed just as the civil unrest on Cybertron reached its tipping point. Even if you are contaminated, Red Rust is no longer the dreaded plague it once was."

"Ratchet was the only one to really look down on me. The others argued against leaving me behind, but fear of the Plague compelled them to do so. The one they call Optimus...appeared the most hesitant. He looked at me before leaving, and I could see sadness and regret in his optics. He promised he would return when a cure was found."

Megatron huffed in disgust. "Optimus...He thinks himself a Prime, but he is nothing but a charlatan. He can put on a very convincing act, but he is no better than any other Cybertronian elitist. He is the embodiment of the Iacon mentality. Those who are forged to think rise. Those who are forged to work or battle fall. Those with no Spark deserve no rights, regardless of their sentience." Megatron spat. "Such elitist nonsense!"

"What about Skybolt?"

"He is the only one among them whose compassion for you was genuine. He related to you as a fellow Synth. Perhaps, in the ideal society, you two would have forged a life-bond."

Pathfinder's face turned a deeper aqua-green.

"No need to be embarrassed regarding your feelings, my dear Synth. I could think of no better companion for you. He is a pariah among those he believes to be his allies."

"He did choose to isolate himself from them."

"I cannot say that I blame him. They did not mourn with him when his closest friend passed away."

"He didn't tell me that. He just spoke about how the grief consumed him."

"Strong emotions can easily consume a Synth in Emergence such as Skybolt. Starscream, ever the opportunist, exploited that to set him against me."

"You're...Megatron? You're the one who killed his friend. I was starting to trust you."

"That is what he has been led to believe. Starscream planted false information into his processor in a bid to use him against me. He has long sought to replace me as leader of the Decepticon Resistance. Skybolt is as much a victim of deception as you, Pathfinder, was it?"

"Yes," the femme replied, unsure of who to really trust.

"I tried to restore his memories," Megatron lied. "Unfortunately, the Autobots, who had formed an alliance with Starscream, interfered. They captured him and reinstated the false memories, even reinforcing them with some of their own. Their influence on him is still quite strong I'm afraid."

As Megatron and Pathfinder spoke, weaponsfire and the clashing of metal could be heard in the distance, indicating that someone had infiltrated the warship.

"Do you hear that? That is the sound of the false memories exerting their full influence on the poor Synth's mind."

"What do we do?" Pathfinder asked. "What can I do?"

"You could confront the Autobots about their deception. You could tell them that you know the truth. That will be sufficient. Trust me. They will suffer for their treachery."

"If I make any physical contact, I'll be infected," echoed Ratchet in Pathfinder's mind. "Alive or not, we cannot risk any physical contact with her. Infection would be a death sentence for all of us." She then flashed back to the ghost planet that was her homeworld. "Are you sure?" she asked apprehensively.

"It is what they deserve," replied Megatron. "The cure was available. They could've sent it to Caminus. They could've saved your people, but they chose not to. They chose their elitist friends, leaving a whole society to rust to nothingness. This is vengeance."

"I...don't know..."

"You would be avenging your people, Pathfinder. The elite of Cybertron, and their Autobot protectors, left your people to die to preserve themselves. Is it not fitting that they suffer the plague they let loose upon your world?"

A familiar scream could be heard outside the door, followed by a loud crash as a drone's head was slammed against the wall outside the med-bay.

"I...don't know...It doesn't feel right."

"Skybolt is not above vengeance. More often than not, vengeance is justified. What do you think he would do in this situation?"

A loud explosion caused Pathfinder to recoil as Skybolt blasted his way into the room.

She thought back to what Skybolt told her about confronting Megatron. He sought vengeance, only to nearly lose himself in the process. At least, that's what he believed. Megatron told a different story though, one that seemed logical enough to be equally believable. She placed her hands over her temples. Never before had she been forced to make such a difficult decision. She devoted every bit of processing power she had to this conundrum. Both stories seemed plausible. Either one was true, and both Megatron and Skybolt had been kind to her, making them seem less likely to be deceitful.

"We can't just leave it here," echoed the voice of Jazz.

"Won't you just run out of power and shut down out here alone?" Bumblebee's voice repeated.

"The presence of a Spark is not the only indication of life, my friend. You are alive by virtue of your sentience. Alpha Trion once said that life manifests in many forms, and its spark is not always tangible. That appears to be the case with you, as well as Skybolt. Someday, we will find a cure. When that day comes, we shall return."

"Pathfinder, are you alright?" Skybolt asked, snapping the femme Synth back to reality.

"Physically, I am. Mentally...I'm not so sure. I don't know what to believe right now. You were so kind to me, but so was the one called Knockout. He repaired me."

Megatron's optics narrowed. His patience was beginning to wear thin. Why was this Synth taking so long to make the desired choice? He was hoping he could convince Pathfinder to infect the Autobots willingly. He was tempted to simply reprogram the Synth himself and implant his own false memories into her, but it was too risky to do so with Skybolt ready to lash out at any moment. At the moment, only his concern for Pathfinder was tempering his rage.

"You are not rusting," Skybolt observed. "You have made physical contact, correct?"

"I did not, and even if I did..."

The angry Synth cut him off by placing the barrel of his launcher inches away from the Decepticon leader's chest. "Knockout did. What is his condition?"

"He gave up his Spark to save her...as any true medic would," Megatron hastily replied, still trying to keep his deception going.

"I do not believe that. Knockout is too narcissistic to risk even cosmetic damage to his person. You have a cure."

"No! Ratchet lied to you!"

"You killed Dashlane," Skybolt growled.

"Those false memories..."

"Enough deception!" he screamed before firing. "I want the truth, and Pathfinder deserves it," the mech Synth hissed as the smoke cleared away, revealing a large wound that created an indent in Megatron's chest and obscured his Decepticon badge in blackness.

"Terminate me, and you will not get what you seek," Megatron threatened.

Skybolt vented heavily as he tried to restrain himself while his anger boiled over.

"You may be frightening off the one you seek to save. I doubt she handles violence well."

Skybolt looked over to see Pathfinder looking at him nervously. "He's...right, Skybolt. I...never saw this side of you. I never imagined..."

"Rage can still consume me. I thought I had moved on, but when you were taken while I was refueling, and I detected the Nemesis...The wound was reopened. I lost Dashlane to Megatron. I do not want to lose you as well."

"Megatron did nothing to my programming. We talked long enough that...I grew to trust him...What he said seemed plausible. At the same time, though, I remembered the concern some of your friends showed toward me. It seemed so genuine, but Megatron would say otherwise."

"I understand. Starscream was equally convincing when he offered to upgrade me. I do not know if he intended for me to be reprogrammed, but, in hindsight, it would have been wiser not to have trusted him. In times of desperation...it seems that deception becomes...more palatable...more plausible...easier to accept. That is something Optimus told me, and it is true."

"Is he...really a Prime...or just a charlatan?"

"I do not understand the full implications of the Prime title, but I believe it requires traits that Optimus truly possesses. He always had faith in me...even when others, like Ratchet, did not. I remember...he tried his best to console me when Dashlane was killed, but I was too consumed by grief to listen to him."

Megatron, his patience having run out, grabbed Pathfinder by the neck and held her in front of him while pointing his Fusion Cannon at her head. "Now, Skybolt, you have only one opportunity to save her. Destroy the contents of the open vault in the command center!"

"What's in..." Pathfinder's optics widened when the most logical answer to her question came to mind. "Don't. Take whatever's in there. Take whatever's in there and go."

"It is the cure..."

"It must be. Whatever happens to me...doesn't matter. It never did." She began to tear up, thinking about the people of Caminus again. Now, though, something else came to mind. It was an old Camien proverb stored in her cultural database.

"Revenge is a plague upon he who seeks it as well as he who invites it. To move forward is the cure."

As she recited the proverb, Skybolt made his way to the vault.

"Whatever happens to me doesn't matter. Move forward." The words looped in his mind as he grabbed one of the vials and placed it in a compartment in his left forearm. He then vented deeply before blasting the vault and rushing back to the med-bay.

Hearing the explosion, Megatron chuckled triumphantly while charging up his Fusion Cannon. "You're right about one thing. Your fate doesn't matter. In fact, I would not need you functional to complete my plan."

"Let her go, Megatron," Skybolt commanded as he skidded into the room. "Please."

Megatron laughed as he nudged the femme with the barrel of his cannon. "What does it matter whether she continues to function or not? She would be useless to the Autobots. After all, she is not built for combat, and she's just a Synth."

"That is irrelevant, Megatron, and you know it. Optimus Prime would respect her wishes if she does not wish to fight, unlike you. You wanted to use her as a bioweapon delivery system."

"Skybolt is correct, Megatron," came Prime's voice from behind Skybolt.

Megatron fired, reducing Pathfinder's head to a lump of molten slag before tossing her aside. Both Prime and Skybolt glanced over at what once was an innocent being caught in the crossfire of a brutal war. Their optics narrowed as anger welled up within them. Skybolt was the first to vent deeply before remembering the Camien proverb that constituted Pathfinder's last words.

"Revenge is a plague upon he who seeks it as well as he who invites it. To move forward is the cure," Skybolt repeated as he opened up his compartment to reveal the vial of antivirus he saved. "I-It is time to move forward."

Optimus hummed as he took the vial. "It appears that that Camien Energon Probe was indeed a Pathfinder, marking the path to greater wisdom...and the future."

Remembering the promise he made before leaving to refuel, Skybolt scooped up Pathfinder's deactivated body before following Prime through a GroundBridge back to base.


	3. What is Life?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The decision to bring Pathfinder's remains back to base leads to a heated debate between Skybolt and Ratchet.

Optimus slowly and sorrowfully walked exited the GroundBridge, sighing as he gently placed the vial of antivirus on Ratchet's console.

"Optimus, what's wrong?" the medic asked, sensing his leader's despair.

"We may have acquired a cure for Red Rust, but at a great cost," the Prime replied as Skybolt strode in, still cradling Pathfinder's remains in his arms.

"What 'cost,' Optimus?" Ratchet asked dismissively as he picked up the vial. "That Energon Probe? It wasn't alive!"

"She was alive to me," Skybolt argued.

"Of course she was," the medic snarked. "You probably don't have the capacity to distinguish a real personality from a personality program."

Skybolt raised an optic ridge, but otherwise retained his glaring expression.

"Oh, sure, she was friendly enough, but that's the way ALL Third Gen Camien Probes are PROGRAMMED to act."

"I...I do not believe that."

"Well, you BETTER believe it, Synthy! These probes are programmed with a friendly and kind personality in the event that they need to interact with the natives of an inhabited world."

Skybolt looked down at the lump of slag that had once been Pathfinder's face. "I believe she evolved beyond that."

"How would YOU know?" Ratchet spat back.

"I..." He pondered the question. It was something he didn't want to think about. "I do not."

"Do you know the risk you're taking in bringing her here? The Red Rust Virus can spread and lay dormant on any metallic surface. If this substance isn't an effective antivirus, then you've effectively doomed us all! If Megatron's plan was to use her to spread the Red Rust, you've effectively HELPED him bring it to fruition! You'd better hope this antivirus works."

"I do, Ratchet," Skybolt sighed.

"Ratchet, this is not the time to berate Skybolt for his actions," Prime admonished.

"It most certainly IS," the angry medic fired back. "We could've just ignored that probe entirely, but Skybolt had to develop misguided feelings for it. We would've been better off just leaving that whole cache behind. It's not like there was much Energon there anyway."

"Had we not gone, the Decepticons would have found the Energon and Pathfinder first," Optimus firmly stated. "Megatron would have most likely concocted the same plans either way."

"If not for Skybolt, we could've just blasted the thing to scrap before it set foot in our base."

"You would be no better than Megatron," Skybolt hissed.

"IT wasn't alive!"

"SHE was! I believe she was..."

"Why don't you think LOGICALLY, like a drone's supposed to? On Cybertron, your actions would've resulted in a system reset."

"I am an AUTOBOT...at least...I try to be. You are a medic. It is your duty to value life in all its forms, correct?"

"It's my duty to value ACTUAL life! I never swore to protect IMITATIONS of life. That probe was an imitation of life, charming as it may have been."

"She was charming," Skybolt acknowledged. "She seemed to care about me, and that helped me move past the pain of losing Dashlane."

"At least that was a true loss."

"So is this!" Skybolt screamed. "Regardless of what you say, she meant something to me! She still does...If she were still online right now..."

"I'd be hurting her SIMULATED feelings, wouldn't I?"

"ENOUGH! I DO NOT CARE IF THEY WERE REAL OR NOT! EVERYTHING ABOUT HER WAS REAL TO ME!" the Synth bellowed before storming off, still carrying Pathfinder.

"Ratchet, do you not remember that, prior to becoming Prime, I supported the Synths' Rights Movement on Cybertron?"

"You also believed Megatron's lies when he first started his uprising, didn't you?"

"He appeared to advocate for equality. He even gave a public eulogy at the funeral of Cogitus Ambus, the original leader of the Synths' Rights Movement."

Ratchet sighed as he thought back to those days.

"I am sorry that that last formulation was ineffective," a blue and white femme said softly as Ratchet scanned over the results of tests involving a potential antivirus for Red Rust.

"All the Space Bridges have been shut down and destroyed, Lifeline. Red Rust has already wiped out Caminus and Velocitron."

"I know, and you have overexerted yourself in an attempt to find a cure."

"What else could I do? Whole colonies were being wiped out, and simply cutting ourselves off doesn't seem like the best solution."

"I know. Watching you push yourself so hard is what triggered my Emergence. I began doing my own research whenever possible. More often than not, though, I was told to stop or locked out of valuable databases."

"Simply because Diagnostic Drones have no business doing medical research, right?"

"Exactly. If it's alright with you, I intend to go to tomorrow's rally. Cogitus Ambus may be dead, but I believe Megatron will carry on his legacy."

"He is a compelling speaker. I'll give him that. I just don't know if I can trust a bot who named himself after the Fallen."

"I guess the Covenant of Primus should be my next field of study."

Ratchet laughed, but that would be the last time he'd ever laugh at a witty comment from the medical Synth. The next time he saw her, she had been completely reprogrammed to serve Megatron, using her medical equipment to incapacitate those who opposed the Decepticon leader's rising power.

"Lifeline..." the medic said at a near whisper. "Why did I get so close to her? I treated her like a real bot, but she was..."

"Just a drone?" Prime spoke, completing the sentence. "Many Synths were swayed by Megatron's deception. He had hijacked the Synths' Rights Movement after orchestrating Cogitus' death."

"Every Synth that went to that rally was wiped and reprogrammed," Ratchet recalled. "I had to come to terms with the fact that Lifeline no longer existed. I had to convince myself that she was never alive to begin with."

"It was the only way you gained closure, right?" Prime concluded, his expression softening.

"It was, and for the longest time, it worked. Then...Skybolt came into our lives...Now this..."

"The wound was reopened."

"Like an Energon blade to the Spark Chamber...Maybe we could've had a cure if Megatron hadn't been able to deceive Lifeline the way he did. We could've brought...Pathfinder...back with the Energon...and she'd still be with us."

"We must not blame ourselves for what has transpired, old friend," Optimus said gently, placing a hand on the medic's shoulder. "We must move forward."

Ratchet's optics widened for a bit as he caught a glimpse of rust on Prime's chest. He then looked down at the vial of antivirus. He vented deeply before injecting it into his leader's shoulder.

"If this works, I hope there's more where this came from."

"There is not," Skybolt replied, having returned after handing Pathfinder's body to Wheeljack. "I had to...destroy the rest...to try to save Pathfinder. That was a mistake."

"I've made some pretty big mistakes of my own, Skybolt," Ratchet admitted. "Jazz was right. I should've taken her in no matter what. Maybe she'd still be here, and you...wouldn't have felt the need to lash out at me the way you did. There's no way that anger was programmed."

"Skybolt, what about your chemical analyzers?" Andrea suggested from her place at the GroundBridge controls. "Maybe they have the formula for that stuff stored in your memory."

Skybolt closed his optics in thought, searching his memories for the most recent data from his chemical analyzers. A small smile crept onto his face when he accessed an entry corresponding to the time he placed the vial in his storage compartment. He proceeded to transmit the formula to the base computer, causing it to appear on the screen in front of Ratchet.

"Seems your Teletraan heritage came in handy after all, Skybolt."

"Direct transmission would have been the most efficient way to relay the data," the young Synth replied with a smile.

"The fact that our base's computer is a Teletraan itself might also come in handy," added Wheeljack, looking like he had an idea that, at least to him, seemed brilliant.

"What do you mean?" Skybolt inquired.

"Pathfinder's head, and neural net, are pretty much scrap, but her Black Box is still intact. Better yet, it contains a backup of her AI, along with all her memories."

"Are you suggesting we download her into Teletraan?"

"It's not without risks, Ratchet, but it could be the only way to save her. Teletraan is the only computer on this planet with the hardware capable of handling the mind of a Synth. The interaction between her AI and Teletraan's could have unpredictable results. One could overwrite or corrupt the other."

"I am willing to take that risk," Prime replied. "Proceed with the transfer, Wheeljack."

The chief engineer vented deeply before initiating the download. As the progress bar inched its way from 0 to 100%, all the Autobots, especially Skybolt, stared at the main screen in anticipation. Ratchet, meanwhile, began work on producing more antivirus for the rest of the Autobots. This would go on for the next four hours, during which Andrea had dozed off. When the process was complete, a familiar female voice could be heard throughout the base.

"Hello, Skybolt...and...Skybolt's friends."

"Pathfinder!" Skybolt cried out excitedly.

"I'm back...or at least...as close to back as I can be. It seems I'll have a lot to adjust to. I guess...I'm this base's main computer now."

"Is that alright?"

"Like I said, it'll take some adjustments, but at least I'm back online...and I'm no longer alone."

Andrea yawned, rubbed her eyes, and replaced her glasses before lifting her head up off the desk.

"Oh...I'm sorry. Did I...wake you?"

"It's alright, Pathfinder," the human responded with a yawn. "I was waiting to meet you anyway. I'm Andrea Morales."

"Skybolt's main creator, right? He told me about you. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Same here," Andrea smiled before fetching a soda from the mini-fridge.

"Ratchet told me...that your personality is programmed. Is that true?"

"Partially, yes...I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It...doesn't matter to me."

"My personality program did lay the foundation for who I am now."

"I...like who you are."

"You may be a little hotheaded, but...I like who you are too."

Ratchet sighed as he listened to the conversation. He couldn't deny that, real or not, Pathfinder's personality was endearing. "Pathfinder?"

"Ratchet?"

"I said some pretty harsh things to both you and Skybolt...and...I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Ratchet. Just move forward."


	4. Truth and Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pathfinder begins to question the authenticity of her feelings. This epilogue was somewhat inspired by the song "Said I Loved You, But I Lied," by Michael Bolton.

The day following Pathfinder's transfer to Teletraan 1 was, thankfully, a quiet one in terms of Decepticon activity. This allowed the Synth to observe her new surroundings and get to know the Autobots she'd now be serving. Still, she could sense a great deal of tension in the air. While Ratchet toiled away trying to mass-produce the Red Rust antivirus from the formula given to him by Skybolt, each of the other Autobots began to develop rust spots. The sight soon consumed her as it reminded her once more of the ghost planet that was Caminus. Eventually, this would take its toll on her performance as a computer.

"Come on, Pathfinder, I know you can synthesize this faster," barked Ratchet. "What's clogging up your processor?"

"The memory of Caminus, Ratchet," she replied. "I'm watching the others develop rust spots, and it causes me to flash back to the state I last saw my homeworld in."

"Right now, you should be focusing all your computing power on synthesizing more of this antivirus. That vial Skybolt took from the Decepticons only contained enough to treat Optimus." The medic sighed as he glanced over at his now rust-free commander. "Thank the AllSpark it worked."

"This is all my fault, isn't it?"

"You didn't know, Pathfinder. You were off-world when the Red Rust hit."

"That was 'Said I Loved You, But I Lied' by Michael Bolton," came the voice of the radio DJ, interrupting the conversation and catching Pathfinder's attention.

"That was just what the humans call a radio DJ," Ratchet explained, sensing the Synth's distraction. "It's noting to worry about."

"I...I know what it is. It's just...'Said I Loved You, But I Lied.' That phrase got me thinking."

"So you do love Skybolt," Bumblebee blurted out. "I had a feeling that's what's been going on!"

"You all know that the basis for my personality was preprogrammed. That personality is what Skybolt...loves. It's why he took the risk of bringing me back here. It's why Wheeljack and Optimus were willing to transfer me into this computer. I know I have to focus all my resources on synthesizing this antivirus, but...so much weighs on my mind right now. Skybolt...probably shouldn't have come to feel the way he does about me. What if I can't really reciprocate?"

"I already told you that the origin of your personality doesn't matter to me," Skybolt stated while impulsively running a hand across one of the computer's consoles. "Don't worry about that right now."

"It's hard not to, Skybolt. These feelings...are new to me. I've never felt...guilt before."

"When I found you, you were damaged and isolated. Any Autobot would've tried to save you."

"Well, except for me...I was too scared of Red Rust. I acted under the assumption that there was no cure."

"Just like Skybolt, you...did what you thought was best," Pathfinder's voice was growing ever shakier, as if she could cry any moment.

"We were close...real close...thanks to the efforts of a Synth named Lifeline. Her last formulation initially showed promise as the patient's rust receded. A few solar cycles later, though, the rust came back. She and I could've found the cure had Megatron not intervened."

"What did he do?"

"He had hijacked a movement intended to give Synths on Cybertron equal rights. He used it, and his skill at persuasion, to gather a number of Synths to what was supposed to be a public rally. In reality, though, the rally was a ploy to gather those Synths for a mass wipe. Lifeline was among them."

"That would be...akin to the extinguishing of a Spark, wouldn't it?"

"I had to stop myself from thinking that even though it was true. It's the only way I could cope." He glanced at the formula still being displayed on the screen at his station. His optics widened with realization before narrowing with anger.

"What is it?"

"This formula is a refined and perfected version of Lifeline's. Shockwave must've extracted it from her memory core before she was wiped."

"Pathfinder, you must not blame yourself for the fate of your people, nor the fate of any of us," Prime said reassuringly. "Megatron is the one who is at fault."

"And yet...he tried to put the blame on you."

"I had suspected as much," Prime replied. "Megatron's skill at manipulation, sadly, has not decreased after all these stellar cycles. Had Skybolt not intervened, Megatron would have convinced you to act as a living bioweapon delivery system, a move that would've used our greatest strength against us."

"He said it would be vengeance, but something about that just...didn't feel right, no matter how convincing his arguments were. I...I was never programmed to make such...complex moral decisions. The only moral decisions handled by my programming involved the extraction of Energon from inhabited worlds."

The synthesis process began to speed up.

"Your personality program formed the foundation of who you are, but you grew beyond that. Part of who I am was also shaped by my programmed directives."

"Your temper?"

"No, not that," Skybolt replied, nervously rubbing the back of his helm.

"I was created to protect humans from non-biological extraterrestrials. Initially, I was instructed to engage any NBE on sight, regardless of affiliation, as they were all seen as threats to humanity," the mech Synth explained. "I would alter that directive myself upon witnessing Optimus taking Decepticon fire for a pair of humans. That conflicted with what I had been told about NBEs. Not all were threats, and some sought to protect humans, even at the cost of their own well being. It triggered my curiosity. That is how I came to join the Autobots."

"That desire to protect...That must be the source of your temper. You extended that protectiveness to everyone you care about. I doubt the capacity to care was explicitly programmed."

"It was learned...like your sense of morality."

"I guess so, and the right thing to do right now would be to devote all my resources to the task at hand. We can always talk later."

"That we can," Skybolt said with a smile.


End file.
